I want to preface this by stating that everything I say in this article is opinion-based and supported by facts. There may be several exceptions to the claims I make in this article, as many of them are blanket statements and/or apply to the vast majority of the topic. This is my personal opinion, and I do not intend to offend anyone; I aim only to educate and inspire. 

Introduction

As of the time I am writing this, President Donald J. Trump has deported over 2.5 million individuals. Some of these people are criminals—as has been advertised—but some are also mothers, children, people who devoted their lives to this country, fought for it, and believed that it could be a safe place for them. Despite what you may hear, the fact of the matter is that many of these people were not deported legally and did not undergo the proper process for deportation. It’s also very important for me to mention that while some of these people may be in this country illegally, that does not make them “aliens.” The term “illegal alien” is a political dog whistle often chosen to dehumanize immigrants. Immigrants are not aliens; they are people, like you and me. Nearly every single person who currently resides in the United States is either an immigrant or a descendant of immigrants. Unless you are a native of the country, you are related to an immigrant. This country is built on immigrants. Our founding fathers were immigrants. Almost everyone in every branch of government is the descendant of an immigrant. And yet, we are conditioned to believe that these people are monsters, that they are somehow less than human, vermin. 

What is ICE?

ICE, known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a U.S agency founded in 2003 to protect public safety from criminal immigrants and uphold the United States immigration laws. In response to 9/11, ICE was granted new and specific authorities used to “uphold public safety.” ICE consists of two major parts: Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations. Homeland Security Investigations’ prime objective is to stop transnational crime across the border. This often entails the investigation and interception of illegal drugs, weapons, and human trafficking across the border. In this article, however, I will be discussing mainly the branch of Enforcement and Removal Operations, or ERO. ERO’s main purpose is to detain and deport people who are in the country illegally. 

Applying for Citizenship 

The United States has a lengthy and difficult process to apply for citizenship, and it’s equally difficult to actually get it. The process is inherently biased against people of color and/or of certain countries. Wealth, status, and occupation—of course— play a part in this decision-making process as well. Since taking office for the second time, President Donald Trump has halted the processing of certain immigration requests completely. These include, but are not limited to, requests for refuge and asylum. A significant portion of why becoming a citizen is difficult is the costs. Costs range drastically depending on the circumstances, but a person can be expected to pay at the very least $380 to apply for citizenship. This is the minimum, however, because applications usually cost around $750. Other expenses to consider are immigration lawyers, which can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. The system is designed to keep people from immigrating to the United States; meant to be a place of opportunity for all, it is now only a place of opportunity for the very select, most profitable few. 

Trump’s Process

Of course, I am not saying that undocumented immigrants should not be deported. Deportation is a process upheld in nearly every country in the world.  But what those other countries often do not have is the extremely biased immigration program that we do. Not just that, but the means by which President Trump deports immigrants are unethical, illegal, and often violent. Citizens who were in the country completely legally under a visa or were legal U.S citizens have been deported. Unfortunately, it is not a matter of whether or not the Trump Administration has deported U.S citizens; it is a matter of how many. 

U.S Citizens who have been detained or deported illegally: 

• Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez: a 20-year-old man born in Georgia, detained at a traffic stop illegally following a law that was suspended. He was held in prison for over 30 hours before he was released. 
• A 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl: both U.S citizens, were put on their mother’s deportation flight to Honduras. The 4-year-old—a boy with stage 4 cancer— was left without access to his medication and treatment. The children were taken out of the country before a habeas corpus petition could be filed. 
• A U.S. war veteran: ICE agents detained a seafood depot’s warehouse manager in New Jersey. The man, whose name has not been publicly released, was born in Puerto Rico and had served the U.S. Military as well as working in the business for many years. The co-owner of the business made a statement that ICE appeared to only be targeting those who look Hispanic. 
• At least 15 indigenous people; ICE has questioned and/or detained several indigenous people, clearly showing that they are not finding people to question through citizenship status, but through skin color. 

People who have been assaulted or murdered illegally by ICE: 

• Renee Good: a U.S. Citizen and mother, was murdered by ICE agents in Minneapolis. She was 37 years old and completely in the country legally. There is no justification as to why ICE shot and killed an innocent woman. 
• Liam Adrain Conejo Ramos: a 5-year-old kindergartener detained by ICE alongside his father. ICE has repeatedly testified that they are only targeting illegal criminals in the country, and yet they detained a 5-year-old child and his father, both with no criminal records. 
• A 1-year-old and her father: U.S. Citizens who were allegedly pepper sprayed by ICE Agents through their open car window. The man, Rafeal Veraza, denied any actions that may have provoked the agents, which, even if true, does not justify such violent behavior. The child began having trouble opening her eyes and breathing. ICE denies that the incident ever happened. 
• Alex Pretti: a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by ICE Agents in Minnesota. He was a U.S Citizen who was gunned down by two agents on January 24, 2026. He was an innocent person who was protesting peacefully. He was allegedly carrying a weapon at the time but made no known attempt to reach for it during the attack. His death provoked outrage all across the U.S, fueling protests. 

This list does not even begin to cover the number of people that have been detained, deported, assaulted, or killed illegally by ICE. There are also very clear signs of racial profiling patterns in who ICE chooses to question.  For an organization designed to protect U.S. Citizens from harm, ICE has murdered, assaulted, traumatized, and put them in danger more times than I can count. 

Why it Matters

When writing about certain political matters, I am often reminded of a quote I was taught in the 9th grade. It reads as follows, “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.” The quote is from “First They Came”, a poem by Martin Niemöller, written after World War 2. Niemöller was a German man during the rule of Hitler. After the war, he often spoke about his guilt and regret for not helping those who needed it. He stated his reasoning as to why he refused to help as “it did not affect me personally”. Of course, people should not have to be convinced that the only reason to help those in need is that they may be in their position someday. People should be sympathetic and helpful because it is the right thing to do. After all, empathy is an inherently human trait. It may not seem like any of this matters now, but this will only get worse. The undeniable truth is that this brutality will not stop unless it is stopped.